WEBVTT JOSH: WELCOME BACK TO "CLOSEUP."YOU THOUGHT THE POLITICALLANDSCAPE WOULD EVEN OUT AFTERTHE ELECTION.ON THE CONTRARY, THE LONGAWAITED REPLACEMENT TO THEOBAMACARE BIL AND DEMOCRATS OFPLEDGE TO READ GREEN EGGS ANDHAM ON AND.THERE'S ALSO A LOT GOING ON ATTHE STATE LEVEL.JOINING US NOW IS ATTIADAMSEXTON, AND SCOTT SPRADLEY.THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.IS EVERYONE AS BAFFLED AS I AMTHAT AFTER SEVEN YEARS OFRAILING AGAINST OBAMACARE ANDPLEDGING ITS CYCLE AFTER CYCLE,THEY CAME UP WITH A BILL THATNEVER WENT TO THE BOAT AND ITWAS INCOMPLETE.>> THEY STOP THEIR TOE AND NOWDONALD TRUMP'S FRIENENEMIES ISGROWING BY THE TWEET.HE I NOW SEEMINGLY CAMPAIGNINGAGAINST ANYONE FROM THE LIBERTYCAUCUS OVER THERE AND WASHINGTONIN 2018.NOW ALL OF A SUDDEN IT'S ALL INFRENCH TIME, I GUESS, EVENTHOUGH THEY HAVE THE CLEARMAJORITY IN THE HOUSE ANDSENATE.NOW WE WILL TRY BIPARTISANSTRATEGY AND IT MAY THRUST OURFOREMOST DELEGATION FROM NEWHAMPSHIRE IN PRETTY IMPORTANTROLES IN THE CONVERSATION.JOSH WAS THERE EVER A REAL PLANOR WAS IT JUST NOT A PLAN THATDONALD TRUMP COULD BUY INTO?>> APPARENTLY THERE WAS IN AREAL PLAN.AS SCOTT SAID, AFTER SEVEN YEARS, THAT IS WHAT THEY CAME UPWITH, WHICH WAS VERY INCOMPLETE.THERE WAS NO STRATEGYWHATSOEVER.IT IS EXACTLY WHAT THEWHERE THEY GO FROM HERE, IT JUSTDEPENDS ON HOW T PRESIDENT FEELS WHEN HE GETS UPON ANY GIVEN MORNING.I WOULD THINK THERE NEEDS TO BEJUST A PLAN OF MOVING FORWARD.ADAM: THIS IS INDICATIVE OF YOUHAVE PARTISANSHIP NOT BETWEENPARKEPARTIES BUT WITHINPARTIES.YOU HAD THE DIVIDE BETWEENHILLAR AND BURNING WITHIN THEPARTY AS WELL.JOSH: WHAT IS THIS DUE TO THESUPREME COURT DEBATE?DONALD TRUMP MADE HIS SELECTIONAND REPUBLICANS ARE NOT EVENHERE OBAMA'S NOMINEE.DOES THIS MAKE IT A MUST WIN?JOHN IF YOU CANNOT GET GORSUCHTHROUGH, IT'S A VERY DEVASTATINGDEFEAT FOR HIM.WHETHER YOU AGREE WITH HISPOSITIONS OR NOT, GORSUCH BY ALLACCOUNTS HAS QUALIFICATIONS.THE PROBLEM IS THAT ATMOSPHEREIN WASHINGTON IS SO TOXIC THATWE HAVE KELLY AYOTTE DOWN THEAND MADE A CAMPAIGN OUT OF"REACHING ACROSS THE AISLE."SHE HAS A LOT OF DEMOCRATICFRIENDS.I ASKED TH QUESTION MCCAIN SHEPULL THIS OFF?-- CAN SHE PULL THIS OFF?IT WOULD BE GREAT TO BRING OVERDEMOCRATS AND END THEFILIBUSTER.JOSH: LET'S SAY THEY CAN GET ADEAL DONE AND THE ACA IS STILLIN PLACE COME THE NEXT ELECTION.SCOTT: THIS IS A HAND GRENADE.TO BEHAVING THIS MASSIVE PUSHBACK.I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE IDENTITYOF A CAMPAIGN MESSAGE LOOKS LIKEFOR IN 2018.AS WE ALL KNOW, THAT'S HARD TOLOCALIZE AN ELECTION.WHEN YOU'RE RUNNING FOR THO OFOFFICES, YOU'RE RUNNING ONWHAT'S HAPPENE IN WASHINGTON,D.C., AND RIGHT NOW WE ARESEEING CHAOS IN A LEVEL NOTPREDICTED.ADAM: DO YOU SUPPORT THE ACA OROPPOSE IT?DO Y SUPPORT PRESIDENT TRUMPOR THE FREEDOM CAUCUS?JOSH A LOT IS GOING ON THESTATE LEVEL.A LOT OF PEOPLE TALKING ABOUTTHE VOTER BILL AND TOUGHERSTANDARDS FOR IDENTIFICATION,BUT IT SEEMS TO ME -- AND THISIS MY OBSERVATION.WAY AND IF YOU FEEL DIFFERENTLEAD OR IF YOU WANT TO AGREE.IT SEEMS LIKE THEY ARE OPERATINGIN A BIT OF A VACUUM, TIE-INDONALD TRUMP EVERYTHING.-- TIME TTYING DONALD TRUMPEVERYTHING.JOHN: THE STATE HOUSE HAS ITSOWN SEALED BUILDING.I HAD ANOTHER THOUGHT MINE.[LAUGHTER]THE DEMOCRATS ARE CERTAINLY ONTHIS VOTING BILL THAT JEFFWOODRUM BRINGS UP DONALD TRUMPEVERY MOMENT THAT HE CAN.JOSH: HE BLAMES THE DISCUSSIONON DONALD TRUMP'S CLAIM OFWIDESPREAD VOTER FRAUD.JOHN THAT BILL PASSED THESENATE ON THURSDAY.NOW IT'S GOING TO THE HOUSE.YOU NEVER KNOW IN THE HOUSE.TALK ABOUT FACTIONS AND THE LACKOF PREDICTABILITY.ON ANY ISSUE FOR THAT MATTER,I'M NOT SURE HOW THAT'S GOING TOFARE IN THE HOUSE.THERE WILL BE SOMETHING COMINGOUT OF IT, BUT I DON'T KNOW IFIT WILL LOOK ANYTHING LIKE THESENATE BILL.JOSH YOU ARE OBVIOUSLY GOING TOBE FOLLOWING THE VOTER BILL.ARE YOU SURPRISED IT WASN'TTOUGHER?A LOT OF REPUBLICANS SAID THEYWERE GOING TO VOTE FOR IT, BUTIT'S NOT DOING WHOLE LOT.WE WANT A RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT.ADAM: THEY WANT TO GET SOMETHINGDONE.THEY SAW WHAT HAPPENED WITHRIGHT TO WORK COULD THA.THEIR DIFFERENCES OVERKINDERGARTEN DIVIDING HOUSE,SENATE, AND THE GOVERNMENT.VOTING RIGHTS IS SOMETHING THATCOULD BE UNITING.JOSH: THIS IS GOVERNING THE NEWERA IN WHICH WE LIVE IN.SCOT GENERALLY SPEAKING HE ISDOING ALL RIGHT.THERE ARE GOING TO TO BE GROWINGPAINS LIKE WE HAVE SEEN WITHPREVIOUS VOTES.HIS NOMINEE TO ATTORNEY GENERALIS GETTING HIGH MARKS.WHEN COUNSELOR AND EVIL AND SKICOMES OUT OF THE GATE RIGHT AWAYSAYING I AGREE THAT THIS IS ASTRONG RESUME AND GORDON IS AGOOD LAWYER, I THINK THAT'S THEKIND O MOMENTUM OLDER THATGOVERNOR SUNUNU MIGHT BE LOOKINGFOR RIGHT NOW.EVEN THOUGH THE HOUSE IS WIPINGOUT SOME OF HIS KEY BUDGETINVESTMENT PROGRAM AS THEY GOTHROUGH TO CREATE THIS HOUSEBUDGET, THE SENATE BY POLICYVOTE, ESPECIALLY WITH REGARLATE IN THE WEEK, IS WORKING TOREPLACE THAT.IT SETS UP INTERESTINGCONVERSATION BY THE END OF THEDAY, BUT IT'S CLEAR THAT SUNUNUHAS GREAT FRIENDS IN THE SENATE.JOSH COVERING A BUDGET IS AUNIQUE THING TO DO.IT IS SO FLUID ANDORGANIC.ARE WE TALKING ABOUT ANYTHINGRIGHT NOW?WOULD WE BE TALKING ABOUTSOMETHING DIFFERENT IN A COUPLEOF WEEKS OR MONTHS THAT WE HAVENOT DISCUSSED AT ALL?SCOTT: ONE OF THE HEADLINEISSUES THAT MAY COME OUT OF THEHOUSE CONVERSATION IS WHATEXACTLY IS THIS BUDGET POSITIONWITH REGARDS TO THE OPIOIDACADEMIC?EPIDEMIC?THE HOUSE FINANCE COMMITTEE ISTAKING THIS WIPEOUTPROGRAMS.THAT WILL TRIGGER HEADLINES ANDTHOSE WILL LEAD TO A MAY BE MOREINTENSE CONVERSATION ABOUT WHATWE ARE REALLY DOING OVER WHAT ISALLEGEDLY THE NUMBER ONE ISSUE.JOHN AS I BELIEVE THISKINDERGARTEN ISSUE IS GOING TOBE A MAJOR ISSUE AS WELL.YOU HAVE CLEAR DIVISION BETWEENTHE HOUSE AND THE SENATE.THE SENATE THURSDAY NIGHT LATEPASSED THE GOVERNOR'SKINDERGARTEN PROGRAM.THAT WAS TWO DAYS AFTER THEHOUSE FINANCE COMMITTEE TOOK ALLTHE MONEY OUT.THERE IS A BIG ONE WE WILL BEWATCHING AT COMMITTEE ANDCONFERENCE TIME.JOSH: IT WILL BE INTERESTING TOSEE HOW PUBLIC THE GOVERNOR IS.MOST PEOPLE KNOW BY NOW THATTHIS IS MY LAST DAY AND MY LASTSHOW ON "CLOSE UP."I WANT TO THANK SCO SPRADLEYMY PREDECESSOR.ON THE FIRST GUDAY, YOUHAD A DAY JOB AT THA POINT BUTYOU TOWARD ME AROUND THE STATEHOUSE AND INTRODUCED ME TOPEOPLE.YOU HAVE BEEN THEREPROFESSIONALLY AND PERSONALLYEVER SINCE WHENEVER I NEEDEDCOUNSELING.ONE OF THE BEST PEOPLE I KNOW.SCOTT: YOU ARE GOOD FRIENDS ANDI'M HAPPY TO BE TAKING HIM TOTHE DARK SIDE.[LAUGHTER]CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR NEW MOVETO DARTMOUTH-HITCHCOCK.YOU'LL BE DOING GREAT THINGS FORTHAT INSTITUTION.YUP AND STERLING AND SO SOLIDWITH THE REPORTING AND YOURANCHORING.YOU WILL DEFINITELY BE MISSED.JOSH NOW WE HAVE JOHN AND ADAMPICKING UP THE SLACK, WHATEVERSLACK IS LEFT BEHIND.POLITICAL REPORTING ISCONSTANTLY CHANGING.CERTAINLY CHANGED A LOT SINCEYOU FIRST STARTED.JOHN FROM THE BEGINNING OFTIME.[LAUGHTER]THE MEDIUM HAS CHANGED JUST INTERMS OF HOW QUICKLY NEWS NEEDSTO GET OUT.POLITICS HAS CERTAINLY CHANGED,ESPECIALLY IN THE LAST COUPLE OFYEARS.BUT IT IS STILL A LOT OF FUN.IT JUST GETS MORE FUN EVERY DAY.ONCE AGAIN, I APPRECIATE THE TWOYEARS THAT I HAVE BEEN HERE.YOU ARE DEFINITELY A SUPPORTERMINE AND IT WAS A LOT OF FUN.ALL THE BEST TO YOU.ADAM TWO THINGS WE'RE REALLYGOING TO MISS ABOUT YOU JOSH.JOSH HAS BEEN TREMENDOUSDEFENDER OF THE NEW HAMPSHIREPRIMARY.THAT'S PART OF THE JOB THATCOMES WITH THIS.YOU HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THESECANDIDATES -- AND WE HAVE SEENTHIS PERNICIOUS EFFECT OVER THELAST 10 YEARS AND EVEN LONGER OFCANDIDATES TRYING TO CONTROLMORE AND MORE THE RETAILPROCESS.YOU GOT A GREAT JOB OF TRENT TOGET THEM OUT OF THAT COMFORTZONE AND MEET THE PEOPLE.IN THE PAST, IT WAS MUCH MORECOMMON DATA VETERANS IN THENEWSROOM.I' SAD THAT WE ARE GOING TOLOSE A MARINE CORPS GUY LIKE YOUIN THE NEWSROOM, BUT YOU WILL BENEARBY.JOSH: I WILL BE AROUND.I'M NOT GOING OFF TO PRISON ORANYTHING.[LAUGHTER]BEST OF LUCK MOVING FORWARD.RIGHT THAT, A LIKELY LOOK AT THE